The following article is a based on a series of conversations with W.G. Clark.

In his essay Replacement1, W.G. Clark proposes that “building is the reconciliation of ourselves with the natural land.” Because we are largely incapable of living directly on the land, we engage in the practice of building to sustain our presence in a place. But first, before we build, we arrive and make the decision to become a part of that place. The decision to dwell might be considered the first act of addition. We add ourselves to the land. In a world where little territory is left unclaimed or uncharted, this idea extends to those places left abandonded, forgotten or unfit to support life. We no longer understand the world as a struggle between man and nature. The land around us has already been settled and more often than not we find ourselves responding to the work of previous generations and the results of their engagement with the terrain.

Anyone who has spent much time around Carr’s Hill over the past two years is undoubtedly aware of just how disruptive addition can be. A vast array of machinery occupies the hill, and the jarring vibrations of excavation and demolition accompany every new sign of progress. Construction demands something significant of the land and all who occupy it. The only possible atonement for such an invasive act is to offer something worthwhile in return.



Reflecting on these ideas, W.G. Clark now suggests that all projects might be considered additions. Rather than mandating a process or course of action, this idea of addition is an attitude for beginning. At a minimum it is the recognition of precedent, and this demands a certain degree of humility on the part of the architect. In Clark’s words it “makes you pay close attention to that to which you are adding.” There is no new construction.

In his teaching, W.G. Clark uses the Woolen Mills in Charlottesville to explore a lesson of addition and the potential embedded within a site. The site of the Mills is rich with an atmosphere of all that has passed. Through fire and abandonment and the continuous activities of the river, building and earth are engaged in a sustained negotiation. The land itself is embedded with the fragments of previous constructions, and the force of the river continues to transform the land throughout the year. Building in this place can only be considered an addition to all that has already accrued.
In a discipline where agendas for sustainability and scientific process attempt to project more and more certainty onto our actions, the humility that accompanies a recognition of preconditions offers a refreshing moment of pause and consideration at the outset of the project. It alleviates some of the anxiety of the new while at the same time demanding a respect for and responsibility to the life and memory residing in a place. There is never any certainty that our actions will be well received or that they will not do some unforseen damage to a place. According to Clark, one of the greatest aspirations of architecture is “an intensification of the place, where it emerges no worse for human intervention, where culture’s shaping of the land to specific use results in a heightening of beauty and presence.”2

Photo by Maggie Hansen

Photo by Maggie Hansen

Photo by Noah Bolton

1 W.G. Clark, “Replacement,” Clark and Menefee, ed. Richard Jensen (New York: Princeton Architectural Architectural Press) 10-13.
2 Ibid, 10.

 

Rivanna River Museum
Architecture 701 Studio

The Woolen Mills project can only be considered as an addition. The site of the Mills is at a critical location along the Rivanna River and a primary reason for Charlottesville’s founding in the area. Years of building, working, and decay have left their mark on the site. This second year graduate studio began with a walk down the then dry river bed. For most it was their first contact with the place.
Despite the historical significance of the Mill’s relation to the city, the territory is largely invisible to the majority of the city’s population. Students were asked to develop project that sought to come in contact with the river as well as to foster a better understanding of its natural and cultural importance. It required areas for display of artifacts, work and research. A second major component of the project was a bridge to span the river and link a series of trails that pass through the area.

James Quarles

James Quarles

Leslie McDonald

Noah Bolton

Kurt Petschke

Jay Cantrell

Anna Dismuke

 

 

East Addition to Campbell Hall
W.G. Clark Associates Architects
SMBW Architects

The East Addition to Campbell Hall is a long awaited project. It is one of a series of constructions that has transformed Carr’s Hill over the past two years. Though a relatively small footprint, the building has a significant impact on the surrounding hill. The addition offers a new face to the School of Architecture, provides three additional review rooms, and establishes a connection to the existing lecture hall buried within the earth. The attention to the details of daily life within the School exhibits an appreciation of, and respect for, the rituals of gathering and review. The rooms themselves provide a carefully crafted environment for these conversations and the presentation of student work.

The East Addition was initially envisioned as a square tower extending from the east end of Campbell Hall. In an effort to preserve wall space yet still admit light, the corners were subtracted.
The square footprint was soon modified to acknowledge the hill to the south and the entry terrace to the north. This transformation was coupled with a realization that the center of most review rooms is typically left unused. The result was an elongation of the building situated against the mass of the hill. The east and west ends of the building were subtracted to establish a visual extension beyond Carr’s Hill to a main pedestrian route.
In an effort to maximize available wall space, a system of operable panels and tables was devised. These panels will allow for a transformation of the space as requirements vary. By pivoting down a table, a window is revealed. These components contribute to the “collage” of the north facade where the work of the school will be on display to those passing by, and glimpses of the world beyond will offer students an escape from long-winded reviews.

Photographs by Kirk Martini